Do you keep your birthday cards? I am sure at least some people reading this post do. What about the envelopes? I am betting you envelopes out even if you keep the card. If you are not sending the card, and you are not enclosing $ or the life, do you really need an envelope? I am thinking… no.

With that in mind and armed with scissors, a glue stick, 7 manila file folders, and a fall-colored 8×8 inch “Typography” paper pack from Graphic 45 (it includes 3 sheets each of 8 double sided designs), Graphic 45 metal brads, StazOn Ink, and a few bits of ribbon and lace, I set out to see how many super simple cards I could make in about 4 hours.

I made a total of 10 regular sized cards, 15 gift cards and a gift tag before I ran out of old file folders. I dd not run out of paper in the pack – I think there are 6 full sheets left plus scraps.

I chose not to cut the file folder tabs off but to use them as a design element in the cards, cutting the top of the image to match the tab and gluing an image on the inside tab to cover what was written or labeled.

As I was cropping the folders to better match the size of the image, I wound up with some folded strips I did not want to pitch, so I incorporated them into a card with a busy, colorful patterned inside.

I glued 5 strips at the bottom middle edge starting from the 1 in the center, then the 2 on the top and lastly the 2 in between those so they were somewhat even, essentially giving me 20 lines to write on.

Then I tied ribbon around it. (Silk sari ribbon comes either as strips knotted or sewn together.)

Here are a few more examples:

In this first one I did not worry about covering the entire label, but just left a well-chosen word to show on the tab.

Strips for a folder cut at an angle to add writing space on busy, dark paper:

My assistant Carol loves the Art Nouveau style of Alphonse Mucha, so when she saw that Reddy had perforated 3D images for card making she bought a bunch.

There are delicate pieces and parts that need to be punched out. First she tried using a paper clip (as shown) and that worked pretty well. What worked out really well was a seam ripper. She liked the fact that it had a tiny blade and was also able to use both points against the perforations. (Carol just smiled when I asked her why the woman who does not sew has a seam ripper in her desktop mug of pens. There is also a nail file, scissors, a ruler, and a screw driver spilling out of that mug.)

Here is the card:

The biggest tip I can offer you when punching out things like this is that with a little patience you will definitely have more fun.

Take one journal. Decide if it opens like a book or if you want to upend it like I did with this green paper one in my craft stash.

Add stickers from G45’s Eerie Collection.

Don’t forget the back.

If it is art journaling that interests you, there are many ways (none of them more right than another). You could zentangle (a bit like controlled doodling) or stamp, or draw, just to name a few ways to get started.

115 prompts to get you writing in your journal:

What lesson in life did you learn the hard way?

Describe a time when your life took an unpredictable turn.

Who do you think of when you imagine someone saying, “I believe in you.” Now, write about a time in your life when just knowing someone believed in you made a difference.

Tell about a friend from each major stage of your life, and let us know why you think of that person as your friend.

What slice of your life would you like your children to know that shed light on what has meant the most to you?

What do you wish you could have asked your parents?

What message would you like to send to your Mother? Your Father?

As you look back over your life what threads do you recognize?

So far, what are your sacred moments that come to mind?

Write about several moments in your life that touched your deepest feelings.

What one thing did you save that belonged to your parents? As you look at it, what do you think? What are your feelings when you touch it?

Write about a time when you went through a spiritual crisis.

Write about some places of beauty that touched your heart and that you cherish even to this day.

What is the most surprising gift you ever received? Explain the circumstances around receiving this gift.

What is the most enjoyable gift you gave to someone else? Explain.

Write of several qualities of your grandparents that you would most like your grandchildren to possess.

Write about the greatest peer pressure you felt as a teen since your grandkids feel it every day.

Write about the hardest phone call you ever made. Write about the hardest letter you ever wrote. How about the hardest received?

Write about the worst rejection you experienced as a teenager. How did you handle the situation?

Write about how your family handled the bad times during your early years: divorce, death, arguments, lawsuits, and/or estrangements.

Were there any cautionary tales within your family when you were growing up? Write about one.

Write of one specific time when you felt hopeless and alone. What helped you through the experience? As you write, think of how best your grandchildren can learn from this experience.

When you were a kid who could you always go to for honest answers? Explain who, explain why.

Write of a single experience out of your past that found you caring and supportive of someone who was going through difficult times.

Write of an instance when time seemed to stop and you knew you were part of a moment that held great significance.

Write how you would choose to die plus the timing. Explain why.

Explain to your children some of the things you want to experience before you die. Write a list. Explain why.

Share your feelings about being left alone should your spouse die first.

What apprehensions do you have about suffering? How will you explain these feelings to your grandchildren?

Write about a time when you struggled with your identity and self-worth. This may be helpful to a grandchild.

Write about the mirror of comparison that might have distorted a part of your early life; the comparison of telling you how much you lacked.

What is your faith and how do you experience it?

List five things you like about yourself and write a 50 word paragraph on each.

Write about something you learned from forgiveness.

Write about something you learned from fear.

Write about something you learned from contentment.

Write about something you learned from discipline.

Write about something you learned from joy.

Write about an experience in your life when you and your family experienced a flood. Describe it.

Write about an early drought that impacted you and your family.

Describe a dust storm you experienced as a kid. What was it like?

Describe the coldest and harshest winter you can remember.

What kind of heat did your house have when you were growing up? How did you keep warm? What was the process of staying warm in dead winter as a kid?

What was the biggest snowstorm or blizzard you remember as a kid? What things did you have to do to survive such a storm?

Were people more secure in their family values when you were growing up than they are now? Why? Why not?

How common was working mothers in your day? Have working mothers been good or bad for our society? Explain why or why not.

Write about a time in your childhood when father knew best.

Write about a time when your father knew least.

What was the balance between freedom and authority in your home when you were young? Write an experience from both.

Write about a time when you and your new spouse/significant other had an experience that was fun, wild, and spontaneous.

Make a list for your grandchildren of some things you currently consider romantic.

Describe a getaway experience you and your spouse/significant other had that was memorable.

Write about an early experience when you and your spouse/significant other were aggressive and extravagant in your romance.

Write about an experience where your romance was so predictable and boring that it was humorous.

Where did you live during your childhood days and who lived with you?

What kinds of make-believe do you remember playing as a child?

Name and describe the pets you had when you were in grade school. Write about them.

What do you remember feeling the first day of school? Describe it.

What do you see going on around you at meal time when you were a child?

Write a memory of the kind of music you typically heard as a child.

Write a memory of the kind of music you typically heard as a teenager.

Write a memory of the kind of music you typically heard as an adults.

What fills up your senses?

What is your favorite meal and why?

What do you love to look at?

What thrills your taste buds?

What scents entice you? Why? What scents repulse you? Why?

Describe the cars you have owned in your lifetime.

Write about a memorable fishing trip.

Write about a memorable camping trip.

Write about a memorable vacation.

If you were baptized, what were the circumstances around the event?

What were the circumstances around your baptism?

Did you have a memorable babysitting experience when you were a teenager? Explain.

Write of one significant Depression experience that has stayed in your memory all these years.

Write a memory of your first few days in Navy boot camp, or Army basic training.

Write about some of the ways you carry a positive influence of your parents. List them and explain each. Write of some ways you carry a negative influence.

Write of an experience out of your past that found you in a very deep and powerful relationship with your parents.

Write of an experience out of your past that found you in a very deep and powerful relationship with your children.

Write of an experience out of your past that found you in a very deep and powerful relationship with your grandparents.

Write of a childhood experience of genuine solitude you had that impacted your life? Explain the circumstances and what you learned.

Write of your most romantic experience s ever.

What roles did you have as (choose one): an only child; as the oldest child; as the middle child; as the youngest child.

Describe the house your family lived in the first years of your life.

Describe all the nicknames of your siblings and friends and the history behind them.

Write about your weirdest Christmas eve.

List some of your favorite things and explain why they are your favorites.

What is/was your profession?

What was the worst thing that ever happened to you at work?

Who is the one person I really miss in my life during the holidays? Why?

Write about one childhood Christmas that really stands out? Why?

Write what the word “blessed” mean to me? Why?

Who’s the Most Social

Who’s the Best Cook

Who’s the Most into Politics

Who’s the is the Funniest

Who’s the Most Creative

Who’s the the Wildest!

Who’s the Most Reclusive

Who’s the Most Generous

Who’s the Best Storyteller

Who’s the Most Traveled

Who’s the Best Organized

Of those elections that you remember, what do you remember most about each?

Which election was the first that you participated in (actually voted)?

What are your current political views and have they changed over the years?

Describe your teenage hangout.

Describe the view from a particular window.

Describe a sport you play or played.

What is your all-consuming hobby?

Are you a sports nut?

What makes you crazy—pet peeves? How do you handle them?

City-born or country-bred?

Describe a favorite teacher or business mentor.

What is your sense of humor like? Your favorite joke? Were you the class clown?

You’ve got to love craft products with fun names like Flitter, Phat Foam, and Scoochy Foam. These foil embossing products are made by a company in England called Indigo Blu. If you are a card maker, add flitter to your craft stash and you will add a new dimension to your card-making and scrapbooking in six super simple steps. What are you waiting for? Dive on in!

I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Terri O

Step 1. Place your “quintessentially English” rubber stamp on a an acrylic backer.

Step 2. Apply Flitter Glue to the stamp using Indigoblu Phat Foam. You want to make sure not to over glue it.

Step 3. Kiss your scrapbook or greeting card stock paper with the stamp. (In this case I used tissue paper because I have plans for it in a later project.)

Step 6. Brush the unused portion back into the jar. I used Lancashire Rose on one of Indigo Blu’s Clockwork Stamps for this project, but they have lots of original stamps and nearly a dozen colors of Flitter Flakes.

Instructions:
1. Cut about ¼ inch off 2 sides of the scrapbook paper. You want your paper to fit inside the laminator sheet so the there is a border on all sides. This way your project will be sealed all the way around.
2. Embellish your paper. I used tags and stickers. Attach them with adhesive.
3. Place your embellished paper inside the laminator sheet and run it thru.
4. The idea is to use this on the go. If you want you can also make an 8×11 size and punch holes in it so it fits in your notebook.

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